Angle iron brick laying guide and brackets therefor



April 7, 1964 A. o. ERNST 3,127,684

ANGLE IRON BRICK LAYING GUIDE AND BRACKETS THEREFOR Filed March 25, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

Alvin 0. Ernst 1N VENTOR.

BY W% April 7, 1964 A. o. ERNST 3,127,684

ANGLE IRON BRICK LAYING GUIDE AND BRACKETS THEREFOR Filed March 25, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Fly. 6

I 30 E I l F i A Q 6 36 l 1 8 20 E Alvin 0. E ms! INVENTOR.

' 9 T ,2 BY m'fl United States Patent 3,127,684 ANGLE KRGN BRHCK LAYKNG (SUEDE AND BPACKETS THEREFQ/R Alvin 0. Ernst, R0. Box 111, Bessie, Okla. Filed Mar. 25', 15163, der. No. 257,545 7 Claims. (Cl. 33-455) This invention relates to a straight edge such as is designed and adapted for use as a guide by a mason or a bricklayer and pertains more particularly, to an elongated angle iron the uninterrupted vertex or edge of which is employed, in a now well known manner as the straight edge, and wherein improved means is provided for orienting and retaining the angle iron in its perpendicular ready-to-function position.

Persons conversant with the art to which the present invention relates are aware that angle irons are popularly and satisfactorily being used as straight edges for brick and equivalent building wall corners. A number of prior reference patents could be referred to as exemplary of the state of the art. However, and inasmuch as the present invention is primarily an improvement upon a similar adaptation it will suffice to set forth at the very inception of the instant matter the fact that the present invention has to do with an improvement on my copending application for patent identified as an angle iron brick laying guide, Serial No. 833,876 and which has now matured into iatent 3,691,865.

Reference being bad to Patent 3,091,865, it will be seen that it comprises a pair of brackets characterized by flat vertically spaced plates having aligned slots therein to accommodate cooperating portions of the flanges of an angle iron which bridges the space between the plates or brackets. The slots are of a dimension and shape to conform with the coasting flanges of the angle iron. Fastening means, usually setscrews, are carried by upstanding right angularly disposed braces or wall members and function to clampingly connect the brackets with the angle iron. The inner marginal edges of the plates which are contiguous to the corner bricks are at right angles to each other to straddle the corner and these edges are provided with right angularly disposed integral brick contacting members which firmly bear against the corner surfaces and constitute bracket orienting abutments. Securing means for the brackets is provided and this means, more specifically, comprises a pair of rods which have hooked outer ends which are adapted to be anchored and secured between adjacent bricks, usually in the mortar between the bricks and which have inner adjacent ends overlying the top surfaces of the respective plates or brackets, said ends being detachably and adjustably mounted in place by way of apertured mounting projections which are provided therefor on the plates.

Since devising the above described angle iron, brackets and anchoring rods it has been found advisable to resort to certain simple but expedient structural changes which have resulted in an adaptation which better serves the purposes for which it is intended. For example, instead of using a single pair of angle iron supporting brackets it has been found that more satisfactory, reliable and time saving results can now be achieved by joining the upper and lower brackets together through the medium of elongated corner contacting or abutment means whereby said means and complemental brackets constitute a structural assembly.

More explicitly the bracket assembling and jointing means comprises a lightweight but durable angle member whose flanges are provided, at the upper and lower ends of said member, with integral outstanding parallel upper and lower brackets said brackets being provided with the aforementioned adjustably mounted hooked wall-engaging, bracing and anchoring rods.

3,127,684 Patented Apr. 7, 1964 Another object of the invention pertains to the assembly comprising the angle-type adapter member with the aforementioned upper and lower brackets having slots to accommodate the insertable and removable angle iron and which construction is desirable in that it allows a much longer angle iron to be employed as a straight edge and in fact allows a protruding upper end portion of the angle iron to serve as support means for a third bracket, the last-named bracket being adjustable vertically in a stepby-step manner as the courses of the corner are progressively laid up by the bricklayer.

It follows, too, that novelty is consequently predicated on a pair of main brackets joined together and serving to support a cooperating portion of the relatively long readily attachable and detachable angle iron and a third or auxiliary bracket which is detachably and adjustably mounted on the extending upper end portion of the thus erected angle iron.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view showing a fragmentary portion of a brick or masonry wall and illustrating the corner and a portion of the side wall and showing, what is more significant, the angle iron, the interconnected paired main brackets and the third or auxiliary adjustable bracket on the extending upper end portion of the angle iron;

FiGURE 2 is a view in perspective showing the paired main brackets with rods removed and emphasizing the angle-type connecting member between and joining the brackets to define the aforementioned assembly;

FIGURE 3 is a view in perspective of the auxiliary bracket, that is the third bracket depicted in FIG. 1;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the complete corner and wall portion cooperable therewith taken on the plane of the section line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the slight variation in construction which lends the invention to practical use not only for the outside corner (FIG. 4) but for an inside corner, too; and

FIGURE 6 is a section taken approximately on the plane of the section line 66 of FIGURE 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Reference will be made first to the outside corner form or embodiment of the invention which is covered primarily in FF GS. -1 to 4, inclusive, with an incidental showing in PEG. 6. Referring first to FIG. 4 the wall to the left is denoted at A, the companion right angular Wall to the right is denoted at B and the intervening corner is designated at C. It is understood that this wall structure may be regarded as erected from blocks, or equivalent masonry units but for the convenience here it will be assumed that the corner is constructed from mortar joined bricks.

Instead of using individual disconnected angle iron positioning and orienting brackets (the aforementioned Patent 3,091,865) and which function to support a relatively short angle iron serving as a gauge and straight edge, the present concept has to do with the use of the assembly illustrated as a unit in FIG. 2. There are two main brackets; namely, the upper bracket 8 and the companion or complemental lower bracket it). Both brackets are identical in construction and a description of one will sufiice for both. These two brackets are joined together by way of an integral connector 12 which is not only the connecting or joining means but is, significantly, a corner straddling adapter. This adapter comprises an angle member of requisite length having right angularly disposed flanges 14- and a junctional vertex portion 16. The brackets 8 and it may be considered as fixed to upper and lower end portions of the adapter or the adapter, conversely, may be thought of as joined at its upper and lower ends to inward marginal edge portions of the respective brackets 8 and it Each bracket 3 or iii comprises a substantially fiat plate which in practice are disposed at right angles to the adapter 12 and which has an outer marginal edge 13, opposed converging side edges 2% and a substantially V-shaped notch or crotch 22 the edges of which embrace and are fixedly secured to the exterior surfaces of the flanges 14 of the adapter. Actually the upper and lower end portions of the adapter extend above and below, respectively, of the plates or brackets. Each plate is provided in its median portion with angular slot means which is denoted generally by the numeral 24 and around the outer marginal portions of the slot means upstanding fastening members or wall members 26 are provided and these in turn have screw-threaded holes to accommodate the setscrews 23 (FIG. 4) which function to bind the flanges of the angle iron 30 in place. The outer end portions of the wall members 26 which are adjacent the marginal edges of the plate are formed with extensions or projections 32 each having a screw-threaded hole 34 therein and these holes serve to accommodate the detachable adjustable screw-threaded end portions 36 of the anchoring rods 33. There are two such rods and the threaded end portions are threaded through the holes 34 and then provided with lock nuts 4% to maintain the rods assembled on the brackets or plates. The free end portions of the rods are provided with turned-in hooks 42 which are anchored in the mortar between the bricks to thus stabilize and maintain the brackets 8 and '19 in their respectively intended position. By causing the angle-type adapter member 12 to fit vertically against the corner C in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4 particularly it will be evident that the flanges 14- constitute abutments and orient the intended position of the upper and lower brackets 8 and 10. Then by properly adjusting the threaded connection between the rods 38 and the anchoring hooks 42 and anchoring the hooks in the manner illustrated in FIG. 4 it will be evident that the assembly (comprising the upper and lower brackets 8 and and connecting adapter and abutment means 1-2) said assembly is in position to accommodatingly receive the flanges of the attachable and detachable angle iron 44. The upper end portion 46 of the angle iron provides for the readily applicable and removable auxiliary or third bracket which is here denoted by the numeral 48. This bracket is basically the same as the other brackets in that it comprises a flat plate 56% having an outer marginal edge 52 converging side edges 54 and a V-shaped inner marginal edge portion 56 which seats and properly retains the short corner embracing adapter and abutment means denoted here generally by the numeral 58 and embodying right angularly disposed flanges 60. Here again slot means 62 is provided for the flanges of the angleiron which pass therethrough and the branch portions of the slots are bordered by the cooperating right angularly disposed upstanding wall members or braces 64 whose adjacent or contiguous ends abut and are integral with the flanges 60 as illustrated in FIG. 3. This particular auxiliary bracket is the same in construction as the brackets disposed in the aforementioned pending application. However, in the latter there are two brackets and they are separate and here there are three brackets for example the main two brackets 8 and I!) are. joined by the adapter 12 and the third bracket 48 is added. As a matter of fact it would be within the purview of the invention it is believed to use an angle iron even longer than that now indicated and perhaps to employ (if found feasible) a second auxiliary bracket. In any event the auxiliary bracket is provided with rods 66 having threaded ends '68 adjustable on the wing-like 4 extensions '70 and provided at outer free ends with anchorring hooks 72.

In practice, after the bricks of the Wall components A and B have been erected to a height of some two feet, more or less and the corner C therebetween has been properly plumbed with the aid of manually applied levels (not shown) it is then ready for reception and anchorage of the assembly or unit seen in FIG. 2. As explained the flanges 1'4; straddle corner bricks and the brackets at the upper and lower ends of the adapter 12 are anchored in place by properly adjusting the anchoring rod 38. Then the flanges of the angle iron 44 (which serves as the straight edge) are inserted through the slots and the setscrews are tightened to hold the angle iron in its perpendicular position. Once the angle iron is properly located the auxiliary bracket means 48 is brought into play.

This same principle applies to the inside corner illustrated in FIG. 5. This is to say corresponding mechanical expedients are utilized here but only a single bracket is illustrated as at 74. This comprises the plate 76 with outer marginal edge 78, side marginal edges 8d and wher in the inner marginal edge is provided with the right angular adapter 82 with its flanges 84 cooperating with the cutout portion of the plate in defining a slot for the angle iron 86. Here there is a right angular upstanding wall member 8-8 integral with the top of the plate and provided with setscrews which hold the angle iron in the slot defined between the parts 88 and The upstanding lugs or projections 92 are properly positioned and angled and are threaded to accommodate the screwthreaded nut-equipped end portions 3 of the anchoring rods 96, said rods terminating in anchoring hooks 93 usable in the manner illustrated in FIG. 5. It will be understood that in actual practice there will be two of these main brackets '74 and that the adapter means 82 will connect them together in the manner as illustrated in FIG. 2 but not necessary to illustrate beyond the seeming self explanatory illustration identified as FIG. 5.

It is submitted that a careful consideration of the specification, claims and views of the drawings will enable the reader to obtain a clear and comprehensive understanding of the subject matter of the invention, the features and advantages, and the manner of using the same. Therefore, a more extended description is regarded as unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling Within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A readily applicable and removable brick laying corner guide for both inside and outside corners comprising, in combination, a lower bracket, a companion upper bracket, each bracket comprising a plate which when in use is disposed in a plane at right angles to the corner with which it is cooperable, each plate having a slot means for passage of an angle iron, each plate also having readily accessible means cooperable with the slot means and adapted to detachably fasten the angleiron thereto, marginal edge portions of said plates contiguous to the corner being con-toured and adapted to cooperate with said corner, a vertically elongated adapter member of a horizontal cross-sectional shape and dimension to conformingly and firmly abut and fit said corner, said adapter member serving to orient said brackets relative to each other, said adapter member and also said corner, said adapter member being joined to said plates and connecting them together in spaced apart parallel relation, and means adjustably mounted on each plate and designed and adapted to removably anchor the same and cooperating portions of said adapter member in an intended usable position on said corner.

2. The structure according to claim 1, and wherein said adapter member comprises a linearly straight bar similar to an angle iron and embodying flat-faced elongated flanges at right angles to each other, the flat faces of said flanges being adapted to abut certain of the bricks which are embodied in and define said corner.

3. The structure according to claim 1, and wherein said last-named means comprises a pair of rods coplanar with each other and said plate, said rods having inner ends adjustably mounted on the cooperating plate and having outer free ends terminating in hooks which are structurally designed and adapted to be anchored and thus secured in mortar joints between bricks embodied in courses thereof below the lower bracket.

4. A readily applicable and removable brick laying corner guide for both inside and outside corners comprising, in combination, means for supporting an angle iron corner guide in a perpendicular position With the guide edge thereof paralleling the intended corner construction comprising an adapter, said adapter being elongated and embodying integral flanges at right angles to each other, the interior surfaces of said flanges being adapted to abut intended cooperating surfaces of the bricks embodied in the corner under construction, upper and lower brackets integrally mounted on the upper and lower end portions of said adapter and disposed in a plane at right angles to the lengthwise dimension of said adapter, each bracket being provided with right angular slots to accommodatingly pass intended flanges of the applicable and aforementioned angle iron corner guide, and pairs of anchoring rods having outer ends converging and detachably and adjustable mounted on their respective brackets and having free end portions provided with anchoring hooks designed and adapted to be embedded in mortar between intended bricks.

5. The structure defined in claim 4 and, in combination, an angle iron constituting the aforementioned guide and having its flanges mounted in the slots provided therefor in the respective brackets, the vertex of said angle iron constituting a straight edge which is adjacent to and parallel with the vertex portion of the adapter.

6. The structure defined in claim 5 and wherein said angle iron is of a length appreciably greater than the length of said adapter, a portion of the angle iron extending well above the plane of the upper bracket, and an auxiliary bracket detachably and adjustably mounted on the upper extending portion of said angle iron, said auxiliary bracket having corner abutment means and being provided with anchoring rods similar to the first-named rods and which are adjustable on the auxiliary bracket and have free end portions terminating in anchoring hooks.

7. A readily applicable and removable bricklaying corner guide comprising, in combination, an adapter, said adapter being rigid and vertically elongated and embodying companion integrated flanges at right angles to each other, said flanges having interior lengthwise surfaces functionally designed and adapted to abut coacting surfaces of tiers of bricks embodied in a corner under construction, a lower bracket integrally mounted on the lower end portion of said adapter, an upper bracket integrally mounted on the upper end portion of said adapter, said brackets being disposed in spaced-apart parallelism and at right angles to the lengthwise dimension of said adapter, each bracket being provided with angularly disposed slots, an angle iron constituting the aforementioned guide and having its flanges mounted in the slots provided therefor in the respectively intended brackets, the vertex of said angle iron constituting a straight edge and being proximal to and parallel with the corresponding vertex portion of said adapter, said angle iron being of a length appreciably greater than the length of the adapter, a portion of the angle iron extending significantly to a plane well above the plane of the upper bracket, an auxiliary bracket independent of said upper and lower brackets and detachably and adjustably mounted on the upper extending end portion of said angle iron, said auxiliary bracket having corner abutment means and said corner abutment means being aligned and cooperable with the flanges of said adapter, and means adjustably mounted on and carried by each bracket and structurally designed and functionally adapted to removably anchor the same and adjacent cooperating portions of said adapt member in a corner abutting position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,872,860 Winter Aug. 23, 1932 2,855,681 Andrews Oct. 14, 1958 2,949,673 Belcher Aug. 23, 1960 

1. A READILY APPLICABLE AND REMOVABLE BRICK LAYING CORNER GUIDE FOR BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE CORNERS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A LOWER BRACKET, A COMPANION UPPER BRACKET, EACH BRACKET COMPRISING A PLATE WHICH WHEN IN USE IS DISPOSED IN A PLANE AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE CORNER WITH WHICH IT IS COOPERABLE, EACH PLATE HAVING A SLOT MEANS FOR PASSAGE OF AN ANGLE IRON, EACH PLATE ALSO HAVING READILY ACCESSIBLE MEANS COOPERABLE WITH THE SLOT MEANS AND ADAPTED TO DETACHABLY FASTEN THE ANGLE IRON THERETO, MARGINAL EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID PLATES CONTIGUOUS TO THE CORNER BEING CONTOURED AND ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH SAID CORNER, A VERTICALLY ELONGATED ADAPTER MEMBER OF A HORIZONTAL CROSS-SECTIONAL SHAPE AND DIMENSION TO CONFORMINGLY AND FIRMLY ABUT AND FIT SAID CORNER, SAID ADAPTER MEMBER SERVING TO ORIENT SAID BRACKETS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, SAID ADAPTER MEMBER AND ALSO SAID CORNER, SAID ADAPTER MEMBER BEING JOINED TO SAID PLATES AND CONNECTING THEM TOGETHER IN SPACED APART PARALLEL RELATION, AND MEANS ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED ON EACH PLATE AND DESIGNED AND ADAPTED TO REMOVABLY ANCHOR THE SAME AND COOPERATING PORTIONS OF SAID ADAPTER MEMBER IN AN INTENDED USABLE POSITION ON SAID CORNER. 